Vicky Fowler, a borough councillor and Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Nuneaton, has launched a campaign against privatisation of the NHS.

She said: “With 15 per cent of the NHS budget in England now spent on underpinning the private sector market and others squeezing the NHS to maximize shareholders’ profits, we have a right to be fearful about the future of the NHS, and our health.

George Eliot Hospital

“The Conservative top-down reorganisation and privatisation of our NHS has been rushed through. The public did not vote for these reforms and the genuine concerns of hard working front line NHS staff have been ignored. “

Coun Fowler staged a demonstration in Nuneaton town centre when she asked people for their views on the future of the George Eliot. She was supported by party colleague, county councillor and former MP Bill Olner, along with Frank Keogh, the Unite health spokesman, and Dawn Downes, representing Unison members at the hospital.

“Cuts to the budget and funding the market is causing pressure at the George Eliot and will have a negative impact on patient services,” said Coun Fowler. “Every cut puts patients at risk in an already overstretched NHS. The changes are not in patients’ interests and mean that we are at risk of losing important health services.”

Mr Keogh said: “It is great to have Vicky and others on board with a campaign to ensure that the George Eliot board find an NHS partner to an NHS issue.”